Calcutta, July 5: The owner of a Kalighat building in which a 70-year-old priest died of an electric shock while performing a puja last night has been arrested.

The arrest came hours after Hari Kant Thakur’s relatives lodged a complaint against Asish Kumar Saha alleging that the priest of the Radha Madhav temple was murdered.

“Saha was arrested following a specific complaint. He has been charged with death due to negligence and an inquiry has been started,” said Rajesh Subarno, deputy commissioner of police, south.

Saha was arrested amid demonstrations by local people who refused to believe that the death was accidental. He has been sent to judicial custody.

The police said the temple, built in the ’60s on 10 cottahs of prime land off Harish Mukherjee Road, was a private property of the Sahas.

A few years ago, the family sold the land to a Puddapukur-based promoter, whose plan to construct a highrise there has been sanctioned by civic officials.

Most of the plot was cleared for the project on Bijoy Bose Road, but the temple could not be demolished because of protests by Thakur and local residents.

The Sahas and the promoter, local people alleged, were keen to pull down the temple since the property could not be developed if it stood there.

Over a hundred people blocked DL Khan Road with Thakur’s body this evening, saying he was the victim of a planned murder and demanding justice for the family.

Originally from Bihar, Thakur came to the city decades ago. In recent years, he had been living with his 10-year-old grandson on the temple premises.

He was performing a special puja for Rath Yatra yesterday when he was electrocuted.

Last December, Thakur and his neighbours had apparently prevented goons, said to be hired by the promoter, from stealing the idols.